Manufacture of expanded metal.



No. 788,934. PATBNTED MAY 2, 1905.

G. G. MQKAY. MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2B.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

G. e. MCKAY.

MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 28. 1903. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. MoKAY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO YOUNGSTOWN IRON AND STEEL ROOFING COMPANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,934, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed January 28, 1903. Serial No. 140,934.

To (ti/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. MoKAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Expanded Metals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of expanded metal, and more particularly to that class of machines for making expanded metal in which a plate is fed forward intermittently between cutters which slit or slit and expand the metal; and my invention consists in means for securing a regular feed of the metal and a uniform result, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of sufficient of a machine for making expanded metal to illustrate my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the gage-arms. Fig. .3 is a side view of one of the gage-arms, showing a modification; and Fig. 4c, a plan of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating means for supporting the rolls for feeding the expanding metal adjustably in position; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation showing the feed-roll, supporting-frame, and adjuncts.

The frame A of the machine is constructed in any suitable manner and supports the lower cutter G and the sliding cutter-head M, to which is connected the upper cutter F. As these cutters may be of any suitable construction and are of the character generally employed for slitting a sheet a of metal,which is expanded either during the cutting operations or afterward, it is not necessary to show in detail the construction of the cutters.

The sheet a is fed forward by any suitable feed devicesas, for instance, by means of feed-rolls B B, and I have also provided in some cases for the feeding of the cut portion of the metal by feed devices'-as, for instance, by feed-rolls G C. To avoid any possibility of the feed-rolls drawing to too great an extent upon the slit portion of the metal, so as to open the meshes to too great adegree, and

also to insure the uniform width of the strands, I provide a gage D, arranged in position to be struck by the edge of the sheet a as it is fed forward to the proper extent to be operated upon by the cutters. Preferably the said gage is so constructed and arranged that it may be shifted out of position as the movable cutter shears against the fixed cutter and to secure this result the said gage consists of two or more arms (Z d, of spring metal, supported at their forward ends by the frameas, for instance, by means of a cross-bar or shaft 12, mounted in fixed arms mm and to permit the gage to be adjusted and secure it after adjustment the ears 0, secured to the forward ends of the arms (Z, swing about the shaft in and are provided with set-screws 7', by means of which they may be secured to the shaft after the gage has been properly adjusted.

Instead of making the arms of the gage of spring metal they may be rigid and swing about the shaft a, the forward end of each arm bearing upward against a spring 8, which in turn bears against the end of a set-screw q, passing through a plate r, secured to the arm m, the said set-screw determining the extent to which the spring shall be compressed, and another set screw, p, passing through the plate 0*, bears against the car at the opposite side of the shaft and determines the extent of the upward adjustment of the arm.

It will be seen that the forward rolls C C not only feed the metal, but tend to hold'it downward against a tendency to curl or spring up, and that they will also assist in the forward feed of the metal, while the gage D limits the extent of this feed in all cases, so that the operations are regular and the product is absolutely uniform.

In some cases, where it is desirable to obtain frequent access to the knives or cutters, and especially to the lower cutters, I provide means whereby the feed-roll O C may be supported adjustably, so as to be carried into and out of position. Such means consist of a movable frame P of any suitable character. As shown, said frame is pivoted, pins W projecting from the sides of the frame at the lower portion through openings in the side pieces of the main frame A. The frame P supports the ends of shafts w w, on which the feed-rolls C C are placed, and when the frame is in operating position spring-actuated pins project through the side pieces of the frame into sockets in the side pieces of the frame A. By drawing the said pins inward against pressure of the springs i, which surround the same, the frame P may be released and swung to the position shown in dotted lines, permitting access to the knives or cutters and adjacent parts. The frame P carries a pair of inclined guide-plates 3/ 3 between which the expanded sheet passes and by which it is guided to the rolls C C. These guide-plates are so arranged as not to interfere with the movements of the stop device. One of the shafts w w is provided with an angular head adapted to enter the socket at the end of a sleeve M, which turns with but slides on a shaft '0, that is driven in any suitable manner. When the frame P has to be swung outward, the sleeve u is moved longitudinally away from the end of the shaft 1/) to permit this adjustment of the frame, and when the latter is brought back to position the sleeve 14 is carried inward, so as to connect the shaft w with the driving-shaft 2), which is rotated in any suitable manner.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction set forth, I clairn 1. The combination with the cutters of a machine for making expanded metal, constructed to slit and depress successive portions of the sheet to a plane below the uncut part, of feed devices, a gage having spring-arms the ends of which are in the line of feed of the metal sheet, and means for shifting said gage in contact with the sheared part of the sheet to a position below the uncut part of the sheet as the metal is sheared and for thereafter lifting it above the part last cut, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with feed devices for feeding a sheet of metal intermittently, of cut ters constructed and operated to cut the sheet at intervals and bend down the cut portions to a lower plane than the uncut part, a movable yielding gage pivoted forward of the cutters to a fixed support at its forward end, and

in contact with the out part of the sheet, ad-

j ustable devices arranged to permit adjustment and to hold the gage in normal position after adjustment for its inner end to make contact with the moving cutter on its descent, and means for then causing such end to rise above the plane of the part last out, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the cutters of a machine for making expanded metal,of devices for feeding the sheet before cutting, other devices for feeding the cut portion at an angle to the uncut portion, a gage arranged above the line of travel of the cut portion, for limiting the extent of movement effected by the latter feed devices after each cutting operation, and means for carrying downward the gage with the movable cutter and in contact with the cut part of the sheet, during the cutting operation, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the cutters of a machine for making expanded metal, of rolls for feeding the expanding sheet, and a movable framesupporting said rolls to carry them into and out of position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the cutters of a machine for making expanded metal, of rolls for feeding the expanded metal, guides arranged to guide the said sheet from the cut ters to said rolls, and a movable frame supporting the rolls and guides, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the cutters, and rolls C C, of a frame P pivoted to carry the rolls toward and from the cutters, and detents for securing the frame in position adjacent to the cutters, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the cutters,of feedrolls for feeding the expanded metal after it is cut, an adjustableframe supporting said rolls whereby they may be carried into and out of position, a driving-shaft, and shifting means for connecting the driving-shaft with and disconnecting it from the shaft of one of the rolls, substantially as set forth..

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two su bscribing witnesses.

GEO. G. MoKAY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HIGGINS, I. M. FINK. 

